MSI MEGA 865: Hi-Fi Barebone System Review. Page 3

Today we are going to look at the new MSI MEGA solution based on Intel 865 platform with enhanced features set and rich functionality, which will be an attractive buy for any home user. Are you looking for a nice fancy multimedia system? Then why not consider MSI MEGA 865 as a possibility?

Externally, the MEGA 865 doesn’t look like a PC case, rather you can take it for a cute hi-fi system without speakers. Well, this might have been the goal of the designers – the user is likely to place the barebone on the desk, next to the monitor, and it should have a proper, eye-pleasing appearance.

The large colorful LED display and the control buttons are a sight – they practically copy the standard buttons of a music box. Here, the ease of use is sacrificed for the embellishments. The small silver buttons on the black reflective front panel look effective enough, but you have to “aim” them with your eyes, as it’s hard to find them by touch.

The universal shuttle controller, which also serves as a volume control, is placed to the left, along with buttons for enabling Hi-Fi and PC modes and a small Reset button, protected against accidental presses. To reset the MEGA 865 with this button, you have to find a thin and sharp-pointed thing like a pen or pencil.

Overall, you may notice two parts in the design of the front panel: the top refers to the Hi-Fi mode, while the bottom is used in the PC mode.

So, here are the things that belong to the first part: the LCD display and the optical drive covered with a decoration panel. By the way, it means that you don’t have to worry about matching the colors of the drive and the case. There’s also no other common problem: many competitor systems have the Eject button to mechanically transfer the press to the drive’s own eject button. This design depends on the precise positioning of the device in its bay, on the location of its eject button and so on. Here, the tray is ejected by the drive’s electronics after receiving the command via the IDE interface.